Police Search For Clues To Bestival Coach Crash

Police are searching for clues as to why a coach crashed on its way back from a music festival, leaving three people dead and 50 injured.

Investigators have said that neither the road conditions nor the weather were thought to have been a factor in the crash and the Merseypride Travel coach had been on the road for only about an hour after leaving Portsmouth.

The coach was returning to Merseyside from Bestival, on the Isle of Wight, when it came off the A3 and hit a tree near Hindhead, Surrey, on Monday night.

The driver was among those killed and 50 passengers aged 22 to 28 were hurt.

Many of the injured have since been discharged from hospital, but a number were seriously hurt.

Eleven people remained in hospital on Tuesday night.

The coach crashed between the Hindhead Tunnel and Thursley exit. It has now been removed from the scene as accident investigators continue to examine the crash site.

Insp Richard Mallett said the vehicle had sustained a "significant impact".

"I understand the road was dry. We cannot see any reason that the road conditions would have had any effect on what occurred," he said.

Merseypride Travel's owner David Hannell said he and his staff were "devastated" and offered their "heartfelt sympathy" to all the families of the passengers involved.

(H)